Love Is A Battlefield (A Stranger Things/Steve Harrington Fanfiction)

Chapter Thirty: Popcorn and Showers

I told Steve everything that had happened the last few days, telling an abridged version about things with my Dad that didn't include Eleven. Getting through all of it took about an hour and a half and by the end of it he was just sitting there staring at the wall, trying to process everything I'd just told him.

"Steve?" I asked. He glanced over at me. "Are you gonna say something?"

"I guess I just...I'm trying to figure out why you wouldn't say anything. I mean, why wouldn't you just tell us what was going on? Especially if its affected you this badly."

"I thought I could keep the chaos separate from the normal part of my life. I thought I could have them both, but...clearly I was wrong about that."

"Why are you wrong?" He asked. "Why can't you have them both?"

"Because, I'm not gonna drag you into my mess. Your life has gone back to normal for the most part, and I'm not going to ruin that-"

"Normal?" He asked. "My girlfriend who I dated for a year and a half, doesn't actually love me, and I'm fairly certain she has feelings for someone else. My friends and my stupid social title are being stolen and challenged by Billy Hargrove, and my parents are practically non-existent. What about any of that is normal?"

"Its more normal than being transported into some real-time dream sequence by a giant shadow spider from an alternate dimension." I pointed out. He shook his head.

"My point is, my life isn't looking that great right now either. I mean, don't get me wrong, its nowhere near yours but for me..." I nodded. "Look, Barbie you are...probably the only thing in my life that I have going for me right now, and until you showed up at my door, I thought I'd lost you too, and it sucked. I'm not gonna let you walk out on me too. If that means that my life gets a little crazy, bring it on. You're worth that to me, you're worth holding onto."

"I don't think you realize how serious-"

"I'm not an idiot," He interrupted, "I saw that thing last year. I know that this isn't some game, and that this could get really dark, and really scary, but if you think that I'm gonna let you ditch me and go through that on you're own, then you're crazy. Out of your mind." I smiled. "So um...I'll tell you what, my parents are out of town for the rest of the week, so why don't you stay here?"

"What?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm serious. You can just get away from it all for a couple of days. I can drive you to school, you can have some space, I'll be here in case you have another episode, and we can watch stupid movies, we'll have fun." I bit my lip.

"Are you sure?" He nodded.

"Yeah. I hate being in this big empty house by myself anyway, so really you'll be doing me a favor." I bit my lip.

"Yeah...ok. Let's do it. I just need to call my Dad first, he'll freak if I don't come home." He nodded.

"Phone's in the kitchen. I'll make some popcorn and we can see what's on TV." I stood up, walking into the kitchen and picking up the phone, dialing Dad's number. We only ever used the phone for non-urgent phone calls, because we figured the people left at Hawkins Lab were still tapping our phones. If we needed to contact Eleven during the day we signaled her on the radio.

"Riley?" Dad answered, immediately knowing it was me, since no one else knows the number.

"Hey...look, I'm think I'm gonna stay with a friend for a few days."

"Riley...come on. I know I was being a jerk-"

"Dad, its not personal, ok? I just...I need some time to myself. Its all just too much right now, and I just need a little bit of space, that's all. Its not because I'm so angry that I want to get away from you or anything, its just...its something I need to do. For me."